


Taking a Detour

by Nameless (Mister)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Allegory, Drabble, Metaphors, Parable, detour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 13:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mister/pseuds/Nameless
Summary: Keep an open mind—the path you know about may not be the simplest nor the only one. Explore your options, or perhaps take a detour. You may even find the journey to be much more pleasant.





	

A young man stood hesitantly in the forest at the base of the mountain. He had a goal in mind: to reach the town at the other side of the mountain. Reluctant and doubtful, he stared at the daunting obstacle in front of him. He took a deep breath and envisioned his destination before he took the trek uphill. He thought that, surely, climbing the mountain was the quickest way to reach the town.

The young man proceeded with caution so as to not fall as he made his way up the mountain. However, as he ascended further, the incline became steeper and he struggled to keep his footing. Eventually, it became nigh impossible to move further uphill; the young man had, in fact, even slid quite a bit downhill.

He had soon fallen enough that he was back at square one—the base of the mountain. He sat down to gather his thoughts and wondered just where he went wrong. He had desperately wanted to overcome the obstacle, but had no clue of what he could do. He noticed an elderly man was nearby and approached him for advice.

"Hello, good sir, how am I to reach the town on the other side of this mountain?" The young man inquired.

The elderly man scratched his beard, as if in deep thought. "Keep an open mind—the path you know about may not be the simplest nor the only one. Explore your options, or perhaps take a detour. You may even find the journey to be much more pleasant."

The young man simply stood there, confused and dumbfounded. He pondered over the old man's words and tried to make sense of it all, but had no leads. He decided to try to climb the mountain again, but was met with the same result each time.

Feeling defeated and frustrated, the young man begrudgingly gave up on the goal that he was once so resolute about. The path around the base of the mountain was inconspicuous and he had no idea where it would lead to. Nevertheless, he followed it so as to get to somewhere else. He was eager to just leave this starting point.

Throughout his explorations, the young man had met many interesting people and seen various wondrous landscapes. Countless years had passed and he had become an old man, but he had enjoyed his adventure so much he didn't care much about the passage of time. Unexpectedly, he had reached the town on the other side of the mountain, and he was delighted in his revelation. The journey had taken him years, but he was elated to have reached his destination.

The elderly man decided to take a walk around the forest for old time's sake when he had noticed a distressed young man. The scene seemed familiar when the young man approached him for suggestions on overcoming the obstacle.

The elderly man tried to recall the advice he was once given decades ago. "Keep an open mind—the path you know about may not be the simplest nor the only one. Explore your options, or perhaps take a detour. You may even find the journey to be much more pleasant." With a contented smile, the elderly man took a stroll around the mountain as he reminisced.


End file.
